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Yes, all the doctors and published side effects of Coumadin will proclaim that it does not cause weight gain. It can cause boating, which may account for some Water weight, but not "real" weight. However, as a retired nurse, I have heard dozens upon dozens of patients complaint of weight gain after starting Coumadin. Anything from 10 to 40 pounds. And they couldn't lose the weight. Nobody (that I know of) ever did any sort of body composition studies to confirm if it was fat gain or Fluid gain, but there were too many complaints to ignore the fact that the numbers on the scale went up for a lot of Coumadin patients. Well, that's wrong, the doctors had no problems ignoring it. As a new WLS patient you could just be experiencing a normal stall, but some of it could be due to the Coumadin. In any case, all you can do is stick on plan and maybe stay off the scale for awhile. Take measurements and pay attention to NSVs and how your clothes fit. Do they know how long you will have to take the medication?

-loriemoms, I hear you on the rotator cuff surgery. Had my left one done 3 years ago before VSG. My right one I had done end of Feb, I am still recovering!!! Yes here it is 5 months down and I'm still in pain, not bad pain as it was first month or more. I went to PT 30 days out from surgery, twice a week for little over 2 months. Before surgery I had to do PT for 6 weeks, so my time was all used up for any more after than the 10 weeks I did. I still can't use a vacuum cleaner! Hurts pushing my mop, raising my arms way above my head, still not enough energy in it at all. I'm no longer taking the pain pills but I do have muscle relaxers I can take. They cut my deltoid muscle, reason for the muscle relaxers. It the muscle goes straight up the arm to the neck and at the base of the skull. Didn't know it effected there. So returning to work in 2 weeks you say? Let me know how it goes, I don't work because of disabilities I have. Pick up a veggie tray all ready cut up! Crunch on those they are great when you don't know what to eat. Keep apples peaches grapes or other fruit in fridge, you can do most with 1 hand. My right was my dominate had, we'll still is lol, I have to tell you my husband was right there for me. Heck I couldn't wash hair or shower without him! Cooking dinner was next to impossible. So I feel for you, the pain is horrible and not doing what you could before, well you will be able to do more later on. My surgeon said recovery is usually 6 months to a year! Good luck.

For 10 days I have a clear liquid diet- broth, sugar free jello, sugar free popsicle, protein shake (2 oz - 4 times a day). I also can have juice (100% real juice no sugar added) diluted half with water. That is one of my favorites- 1/8 c cranberry juice 1/8 c water. No more than a half a cup of liquids each meal.

After 10 days post OP I went from liquids to puree. Liquids: shakes, sugar free or fat free versions of pudding, Jello, popsicles, Soup broth, gatorade, yogurt, milk. Puree: eggs, melted cheese or string cheese, mashed potatoes, bananas, peanut butter, applesauce, lean ground meats like turkey, and cooked carrots. Cheese and potatoes are not foods you want to plan to eat everyday in your future diet plan. The Puree stage is short so I had one string cheese stick everyday. I only had mashed potatoes once.

I try to not think about the "negative" posts as being negative, but as people reaching out so they don't struggle in silence. I also like to think of them as a learning experience for me, so that if I ever go down that road, I will remember that it is normal for all of us to have ups and downs. Aside from that, I am overall very happy with my band. Surgery on January 10 and just had my first fill today. I feel pretty darn good. I am craving healthy foods for once in my life (go fish!) and shopped in the misses section for the first time in 6 years just last week. Have had my negatives, even posted once or twice on here, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. Keep your chin up and check out the January 2012 bandsters group. The comments are mostly positive and we are all in the same stage of our journey.

I feel like I see an equal of both positive and negative on here. Make sure you also read the blogs and like someone said above, the success stories. Iv'e lost 45 pounds in 10 weeks, so I believe I'm a success thus far. I would do everything the same and do not regret my decision at all. Good luck and stay positive!

I don't know how to lie (which does backfire at times even though I'm never malicious) so I had to come here and just admit something... I was banded almost 2 weeks ago on May 6 (a Monday). I just turned 21 the week before and I think I am just too young to go through such a life change. I completely (I mean I was eating up until the night before my surgery) FAILED on my 2 week pre-op diet. I was so afraid to let go of the foods I loved and, though I have followed every requirement post surgery (10 days liquids, now on day 3 of mushy/pureed foods), I am just miserable inside. It is very likely when I check the scale in the morning I will have lost 30 lbs, and I am proud of it, but I don't think I had the right motivations going into this. Sure I would like to feel healthier, but it was much more that I feel so ugly on the outside to the point where I do not allow any non-face only pictures to be taken. I do want to lose weight and I know it is good for me, but with the lap band I truly did not realize that it would force me to give up a lot of what made me happy in life. The fact that I can literally never have my favorite food ever again (Chinese Fried Rice) and probably other foods too is something I am so regretful of with having this surgery. I have a nauseous appetite (at times now I only want water; the THOUGHT of other stuff even drinks makes my mouth have the nauseous feeling), only go the d-word in my BMs (though Imodium does work), and have spasm pains near my port and on the other side of my belly throughout the days that the nurse couldn't figure out because the mandatory esophagram showed nothing wrong in my body. I don't want to give up, but I don't know what to do. I'd do ANYTHING to go into a restaurant, to be able to order food again and be able to enjoy stuff still with the intention of being healthier with my choices. When I pass by a restaurant outside, I automatically sigh... and I watch a ton of cooking videos of foods I miss on YouTube. The therapist I went to for my psych evaluation should've failed me I feel so stupid even though I've come so far. Thanks for listening and would appreciate any advice. -Mark

Mine had the clear glue stuff AND the steristrips. the little ones fell off about 10 days out, and the port site was stubborn. The doctor took it off on my two week check up so he could see my incision. My problem is that I'm spitting sutures. I pointed the sharp little tiny thing poking out of my incision to him, and he said yes, it was a suture. He tugged at it and clipped it off. It's the internal ones. Came home and two days later have three more!!! I went to see my regular doc as my surgeon is two hours away. He said to leave them alone. They will dissolve and the little tips will just fall out. So I guess I was worried about nothing. My surgeon contacted all my physicians about my surgery. Now they all want to see me! Want to see my scars and everything. I think the lap band is a bit of a novelty around here.

As you know I reached my goal a couple of months ago and am now in the maintenance stage of my journey. Simple, all I have to do is maintain my weight. I still check in with my doctor every four weeks (my choice not his). This last month has been full of ups and downs with a lot of changes, basically life has been happening. I had to battle the head hunger on more than one occasion. Then about a week and a half ago I started noticing that my daily calorie intake was creeping up. 10 calories more, then 20, then 30, etc… I was starting to get hungry (physical hunger) in between breakfast and lunch, this hasn't happened since bandster hell. That was the deciding factor for me, I needed a fill. I went for my four week checkup today and to no surprise I was up two pounds. After discussing things with my doctor I got the fill I wanted (just a small one .2cc). My point here is that once you reach your goal you’re not done. In fact, It’s harder to maintain your weight that to loose, in my opinion. Guess I need to change my ticker now.

Hey Cal, I was banded on 11/14 too. I have a 10-12cc band and my first fill was 3cc. Sounds to me like your eating too fast. I agree with Chubster - try eating slower and chew better.

My doc told me not to take them off for abt 10 days. They should start to peel off in the shower but don't pull them off yourself. You should have received post-op instructions abt the bandages. After they come off, you don't have to rebandage them. I put aloe on the scar to keep it from scarring and itching so badly.

I have the same question. My mom had RNY about 24 years ago and had a lot of medical issues related to it, which really worries me. I originally wanted the lap band (10+ years ago) but after a lot of research this past year I feel confident about VSG I'm just worried about the reflux. Right now I take Zantac when I have an issue but I'm worried about it getting worse after surgery. I would love to read everyone's input on this [emoji177]

I hiccup after I eat. Every time. No matter if it's one bite or thirty, when I do that, it's time to stoppp. Usually after about 10 minutes I can eat a little more if I didn't get far the first time. It's my "you're about to get stuck" signal. Though if my nose starts running? It's time for me to start scoping wherever I am for bathrooms. I definitely don't PB every time but that's my "you got stuck and went a bite too far" warning and sometimes it's not good... At least we've got some signals. I feel like it's having training wheels on your bikes. I've never been a regular weight and don't really know how to eat without stuffing myself to the point of being uncomfortable. Now I do.

Instant oatmeal in the one serving packets made with milk. Oatmeal is a slow release carb and is good for you. With the milk depending on which kind you have you can get up to 10 grams of Protein. I stay full for at least 3-4 hours when I eat oatmeal for Breakfast and if I pair it with egg whites I can go longer.

I could use a buddy, Los Angeles, Ca banded 9/19/08:wub:

Yeah but what they don't mention is the fact that in america the gastric bypass, lap band and other wls are more acceptable and heaps of people are getting them. And actually australia isn't the fattest, theres a small country can't remember exactly what its called but 9 out of 10 people there are considered obese. Where did they actually get there facts from? Did they actually go around to every single house in australia and weight and ask questions to people? Cuz they sure as hell didn't come around to our house!

BrandyII, I am so sorry that you are having a tough time. Some docs are like that, I am sure that half of it is for your safety and the other half is for the safety of their bank accounts, but it is what we must do to get where we are going. Try to think of all the unpleasantnesses that you are avoiding by losing the weight, and remember, this too shall pass (now would be good). Keep you eye on the prize, the band will change your life in so many wonderful ways. I can roll around on the ground and run around the playground with my 19 month old grandson now. I couldn't do that 16 months ago when I weighed nearly 300 pounds! And I can look forward to watching him grow up and being a part of that rather than waiting to die from some obesity related disease. I already had a stroke at age 40, just before my grandson was born. I know that this is frustrating and tiresome, but trust me, it IS worth it! Good luck to you! Laura

Thank god im not the only one that seems like hes rushing this! Exactly, doesnt seem like he;s giving me enough time to process anything going on! ct scan now, revision surgery tomorrow! like relax can I first get over the swelling and tightness?!?! he said! that 5% of the time the band fixes itself! welllll maybe his patients since he doesn't give them enough time to heal! I am scheduled for the CT scan this Saturday! that will give me 10 days to heal and hopefully some improvement on my band so he can see it on the CT scan! I still don't think this is enough time tho

My surgeon did not try to sell me on the RNY. I told him I was interested in the sleeve or band and we never even talked about the bypass. I actually saw his original presentation on WLS about 5 years ago but I didn't qualify. He was just starting to perform the sleeve then. He discussed RNY, band and sleeve. I would say he discouraged the band. My stats are not too different than yours. I was 257 and 5'3" as my starting weight. I had a 6 months insurance mandated diet and was at 242 at the start of my 10 day liquid pre op diet. I am 6.5 months out and am at 174. I am still losing, more slowly that when I first sleeved, but still losing. There are plenty of people on this board who have had sleeves and are well below the 180-190 that she quoted to you. If you are not comfortable with what this surgeon is telling you go talk to another one or two. Just because every one else loves her does not mean she is the right one for you. You need to be comfortable with your surgeon and the surgery. If you do decide on the sleeve I would recommend a different surgeon. You want a surgeon that believes in the sleeve and has a program designed for the sleeve not one modified from RNY. You don't want to have a minor stall or complication and feel like she is thinking "Well this wouldn't have happened it you followed my advise and had RNY". You want a surgeon that has done a large number of sleeves not one that does them occasionally, under duress.

oh! LOL I was shocked to have lost about 10 pounds in the first 5 days post-op. Since then I have averaged about 2 pounds a week. Definitely slower than someone who starts with a higher BMI but probably pretty average for someone who started where I did. It is frustrating at times. I wouldn't panic yet : ) Adjust your calories for a couple of days, then your carbs, then go back to the basic plan. Seems to shake up the body again. I weigh every day, 99% of the time. I won't weigh on any other scale except my own - other than my dr of course : ) Sometimes I am down, then up a little, then down and down again. So long as it is going in an overall downward mode, I am good : ) Hang in there! It will happen : )

Haven't seen this in awhile and it is just too fun, so I thought I would revive it!! What have you lost? Your weight loss = 1 lb/0.45 kg/0.07 Stone = a Guinea Pig 1.5 lbs/0.68 kg/0.11 stone = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts 2 lbs/0.9 kg/0.14 stone = a rack of baby back ribs 3 lbs/1.36 kg/0.21 stone = an average human brain 4 lbs/1.8 kg/0.29 stones = an ostrich egg 5 lbs/2.27 kg/0.36 stones = a Chihuahua 6 lbs/2.72 kg/0.43 stones = a human's skin 7.5 lbs/3.4 kg/0.54 stones = an average newborn 8 lbs/3.6 kg/0.57 stones = a human head 10 lbs/4.5 kg/0.71 stones= chemical additives an American consumes each year 11 lbs/5 kg/0.79 stones = an average housecat 12 lbs/5.4 kg/0.86 stones = a Bald Eagle 15 lbs/6.8 kg/1 stones = 10 dozen large eggs 16 lbs/7.3 kg/1.1 stones = a sperm whale's brain 20 lbs/9.1 kg/1.4 stones = an automobile tire 23 lbs/10.4 kg/1.6 stones = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year 24 lbs/10.9 kg/1.7 stones = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream 30 lbs/13.6 kg/2.1 stones = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year 33 lbs/15 kg/2.4 stones = a cinder block 36 lbs/16 kg/2.6 stones = a mid-size microwave 40 lbs/18 kg/2.9 stones = a 5-gallon bottle of Water or an average human leg 44 lbs/20 kg/3.1 stones = an elephant's heart 50 lbs/23 kg/3.6 stones = a small bale of hay 55 lbs/25 kg/3.9 stones = a 5000 BTU air conditioner 60 lbs/27 kg/4.3 stones = an elephant's penis (yep, weights more than his heart!) 66 lbs/30 kg/4.7 stones = fats and oils an average American eats in a year 70 lbs/32 kg/5 stones = an Irish Setter 77 lbs/35 kg/5.5 stones = a gold brick 80 lbs/36 kg/5.7 stones = the World's Largest Ball of Tape 90 lbs/41 kg/6.4 stones = a newborn calf 100 lbs/45 kg/7.1 stones = a 2 month old horse 111 lbs/50 kg/7.9 stones = red meat an average American eats in a year 117 lbs/53 kg/8.3 stones = an average fashion model (and she's 5'11") 118 lbs/53.5 kg/8.4 stones = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica 120 lbs/54 kg/8.6 stones = amount of trash you throw away in a month 130 lbs/59 kg/9.3 stones = a newborn giraffe 138 lbs/63 kg/9.9 stones = potatoes an average American eats in a year 140 lbs/64 kg/10 stones = refined sugar an average American eats in a year 144 lbs/65 kg/10.3 stones = an average adult woman (and she's 5'4") 150 lbs/68 kg/11 stones = the complete Oxford English Dictionary 187 lbs/85 kg/13 stones = an average adult man 200 lbs/91 kg/14 stones = 2 Bloodhounds 235 lbs/107 kg/17 stones = Arnold Schwarzenegger 300 lbs/136 kg/21 stones = an average American football lineman 400 lbs/181 kg/27 stones = a Welsh pony

Hi I readed your blog. And its motivating. I was banded on 10/02/09 its not easy figuring out what to eat or not eat. And easy to think about food especially when your watching t.v.. I lost 20 pounds I dont know if thats good or not. But I am hopeful.:blushing:

6 months and a week ago, i had no health problems even with a 47 BMI - BUT i felt so disgusting. I hated clothes. I wore things just to hide myself. I knew I had a pretty face but that all others saw was the fat. Today, 6 months after surgery and 88 pounds later, I feel INCREDIBLE. i am all about what i'm wearing, my make up, I feel just plain unstoppable. I want you to know that yes there can be complications. I have experienced none so far (truly this is thanks to GOD and following my surgeon's instructions) - but they can happen. I am very, very sorry I did not do this 10 years ago (I'm 38). But i cannot dwell on that. This is a LIFE CHANGING thing if you let it be. I truly wish all of you the best of luck in your decision and if you have the surgery - the best of luck on your journey. It TRULY is a journey. God bless us all!!!!

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=760 bgColor=#ffffff border=0 valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD width=10></TD><TD vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=15>I remembered seeing this testimonial when I was researching the band - It is on the website www.obesitycontrolcenter.com which is the office of De. Ariel Ortiz. I have attached Cassie's story about her experience as a teenager with the band. She also offers to support any teen through email that might need her support. you might want to contact Dr. Ortiz's office to see if she is still willing to do that.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodytextbluelg> Teenage Lap Band Patient, Cassie </TD></TR><TR><TD height=15></TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodytextgrey vAlign=top> My name is Cassie and I had my surgery March 17, 2004. I was only 13 years old. At surgery I weigd 218 pounds and now I am 155 at 5''7". First I want to say, " I AM SO HAPPY”. My life seemed to be on hold because of my weight. I did all kinds of sports and the weight still kept coming. I tried dieting and went to the nutritionist and it still didn't help. I was gaining weight very fast every month. I became more and more depressed with every unsuccessful diet. My mom did some research and found Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Martinez at the Obesity Control Center. She explained everything to me and let the final decision be up to me. I was scared but at the same time ready and wanted my life to change. To be like the other kids and enjoy sports once again and the cute clothes. I had my surgery and the very same day I was up out of bed walking. The next day I left for home. I am back into sports and many school activities and not to mention my grades are great and I have lots of fun friends. If any teen would like to talk about the surgery or just need support I would be happy to chat with you by email. Thanks for my life back, Cassie I don't know if this will help, but I know as a teenager, she will probably need all of the support options she can get. Kudos to her! </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

I just came out of the woods a couple of days ago. Days 1 through 7 were torture. So much gas pain and bloating. Day 8 was so so and days 9 and 10 have been awesome. 100% pain free starting day 9. It happened all of the sudden for me, no gradual recovery. I didn't have a BM until I started mushies, which I believe was day 7 (against doctor's orders). I couldn't take liquids anymore. I started eating tuna salad and egg salad well chewed and very slowly. I'm pretty convinced a large part of my problem though was the Protein shakes. The milk seemed to cause me to have a violent gassy reaction that only seemed to escape through an occasional burp. Possibly just coincidence? Hang in there. If you are like me, your energy will come back with a vengeance and you will be so glad you got the band.